Normally, I would open a letter with the words, "Em Hotep", which most of us know means, "In Peace". What I am about to write today has absolutely nothing to do with 'peace'. It has nothing to do with giving lip service with a greeting that at times seems to have very little meaning to some of the people within its so-called Community of adherents.

What I am trying to say is this: Some of you, quite frankly, leave a whole lot to be desired by way of community. Some, I can safely say, suck as human beings. Some of you really suck as friends and with those kind of friends…..well, I'm sure that you know the rest. All I can say is that it really must suck to be you.

This is the only reason I can come up with for the nevernding vitriol against established Kemetic temples with which a person may or may not agree. It isn't enough to just simply disagree in practice and opinion, but the poison is spread from forum to forum. Not that anything any of the venomous vipers say makes any sort of a difference. The best revenge, I find, is in success. Large successful organizations or very well-funded projects go a long way to stirring up the nest of vipers, apparently. I wonder how long it will be before they get their own projects going, or they are able to write better books or just get a clue.

I'm certainly waiting to see it happen.

My motivations for saying these things are manifold, and my point of view has been gained through years of experience and observation both from inside the "community" as well as from outside of it with other non-traditional faiths. I have found more camaraderie, kindness and decency among those who do not espouse Kemetic beliefs than I have in the 25 years I have been a member of this one. I am mystified as to the reasons why this might be. Why do so many Kemetics find it necessary to act this way? Usually, such hateful maliciousness is a product of a lifetime of woes. Regardless of those woes, those past indignities, one would think that finding others with like-minded beliefs would be a very positive thing.

I have watched far too many try to waltz into established temples and try to glean what they could from the experience, then turn around and establish their own temples or publish books with the information that they raided from elsewhere with absolutely no attribution, no acknowledgement whatsoever as to where they actually got their "years of experience” from. I have seen so much pettiness, cruelty, backbiting and lies that I often wonder whether some within our community really fathom, let alone know, what ma'at is all about. Rather than coming up with projects, books and organizations that could bolster the community, the infighting, pettiness and character assassinations of others continue unabated.

To be fair, I have been sitting on this post for a fairly long time. As a rather cantankerous old lioness who is no longer under the obligations of priesthood to "play nice" with the assholes in the community, I am also someone who no longer gives a bloody damn what anyone thinks of me anyway. So, I thought that it was high time that I said it.

If, by chance, any of the above makes you uncomfortable, then perhaps you should take a step back and ask yourself just why that might be.

There are some within the Kemetic community who use every waking moment to bring about unity. They make certain that their blog posts, their board commentary and the videos they upload to YouTube are inclusive and thorough. Those shared works, thankfully, do not contain thinly-veiled snarkiness about groups and or teachers with whom they might personally disagree. They know how to write. They are very good at making their points and are exemplary in citing their sources. To those people, and I am certain that they know who they are, I extend my deepest gratitude and acknowledgement as a fellow Kemetic practitioner. Thank you for all that you do. Thank you for being an inspiration, a light and a beacon. I stand with the efforts of those who are determined to create a Kemetic community that shares and glorifies in its diversity and I will give my every effort to ensure that it comes to pass, despite the detractors who find it far easier to tear down what others have tried so hard to build.

To the rest, well, I can only say that hate, poison and jealousy have an incredible way of eating a person from within. Trust me when I tell you, based on my own first hand experience, it is no way to live and it can be a horrible way to die from the inside.

Being Kemetic is supposed to be about the celebration of Life and the furthering of Ma'at in the world. Wouldn't it be great if we could all focus a little bit more on that?

Comments and feedback are always appreciated and the original post can be found HERE.

no subject

I don't know the details behind this since I'm not involved with official Kemeticism. However, I'd have to say (ruefully) that what you're describing is routine human behaviour for any group of people. No matter which organization, the minute you get more than three people working together you're going to get backbiting, divisiveness, etc. I've seen it too many times to think that any group, no matter how principled in theory, is immune. Inevitably, in any human enterprise, a certain proportion of divisive bullshit must arise. The critical thing is how everyone else weathers it. I realize that sounds completely cynical, but what I'm trying to say is please don't be too disheartened. Try to focus on keeping things as good as possible for yourself and those who seek the good, and either ignore or tell off everyone else. Sometimes the telling off is good and right and necessary. :)

no subject

Briefly, in the 25 years that I have been around Kemetic belief and groups, there has been, I have observed, just such incredible hostility as in no other part of the Pagan or non-mainstream faith areas. Heck, even the Satanists get along better than the overall Kemetic community does!

While I do agree, it is a basic part of human behaviour, culturally, from a Kemetic view, it's kind of the opposite of what it's wisdom literature, mythos, and mindset holds as an ideal. I wish I had a dime for every nasty email, every negative post, every snide comment that Kemetics make about one another and their efforts. There are so many other things that we can do with what we hold dear. Tearing each other down, dissing the progress of making our religion or spirituality more greatly understood and accepted in the world, or forgetting to hold ourselves responsible to the ideals of Ma'at, of the spoken or written word or even what heka is all about is very counterproductive.

I applaud the efforts of all of those, including yourself, who are trying to put Kemetic topics out there and choosing to focus on that rather than pettiness or politics. There is no reason why it cannot be all that we hope for it to be.